College of Arts and Architecture Celebrates Class of 2013

Approximately 240 undergraduates received their degrees during the College of Arts and Architecture's 2013 commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 4, in Eisenhower Auditorium. The commencement speaker was Steven J. Tepper, associate director of the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University and research director for the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP), which tracks the lives and careers of arts graduates nationwide.

Joshua Laughner, who earned dual degrees in music composition and chemistry, was the college marshal. For information on the other student marshals, click here.

According to Tepper, arts graduates are better prepared for citizenship. "Research has demonstrated that creative people are more tolerant of others, more open minded, less ideologically rigid, less punitive toward people they disagree with, and more resilient in the face of change. In short, I would argue, creative people make better citizens."